miwa’s new single kicks off with Kimi ni Deaeta Kara, a cheery pop number. Following a low-key guitar intro, the track bursts to life with thumping percussion, wordless chanting and the twinkle of piano (and cheesy “yays”). The main melody line isn’t much better than “a little above average”, but the song is performed well. miwa’s vocals are bright and she hits her notes easily. The other instruments are good too. The basslines are more complex than in ordinary J-Pop, full of slaps and pops which really drive the song forward, while synth lines fill out gaps in the melody. The percussion is intrusive though, with large thumps giving an annoying, messy sound. Kimi ni Deaeta Kara is okay, but miwa’s done a lot better.

The B-side Let Me Go is a chill R’n’B-style tune. With thundering beats and waves of synths in the chorus, it’s a welcome step away from miwa’s acoustic pop-rock zone. Let Me Go isn’t breaking any records for creativity, but it’s a solid, well-executed song.

The single also contains a couple of other versions of the A-side – track 3 is a brass band version, while track 4 is an acoustic take. I’m impressed with the brass version. The horns are strong and complemented by the joyful trills of flute. The slow addition of instruments with their harmonies and countermelodies gives a fantastic build-up to the chorus, which is full of intricate flute lines and proud brass. However, as with the original, the drums are cluttersome and the girls shouting “hey” is laaaaaaaaaame. (And what’s with those random whistles at the end?)

The transformation to acoustic hasn’t really helped Kimi ni Deaeta Kara. Generally, I don’t like acoustic versions because they’re a bit plain and boring, and this is no exception. Also, miwa’s voice is more exposed against the simpler instrumentation, and while she’s definitely not a bad singer, I don’t find her as interesting on her own. Singing with a full instrumental backing complements her voice, and the acoustic version can’t compare with the original. The steel drums are a unique touch though, and spiced up the track nicely. Although some of the percussion rhythms are still kinda random…

Overall, Kimi ni Deaeta Kara has its ups and downs. Let Me Go is good, and the brass version of Kimi ni Deaeta Kara is skilfully arranged, but the other two were rather average.

4 Responses to miwa – Kimi ni Deaeta Kara

The original version of Kimi in Deaeta Kara sounds like the average miwa song, and reminded me of Miracle the minute I heard the intro with the percussion and all. I quite like the acoustic version though, because it’s very breezy and carefree. But omg I was really surprised with the brass version. It’s a wonderfully unexpected addition to a miwa single, and I found it really impressive too.

I found Let me go to be a bit meh during the verses, but when I heard the chorus, I was like “YES, SYNTHS, YES”. She should have based the whole song around the sound of the chorus, and it could have been considered for placement in my fierce/sassy playlist, haha.

Lol the go-to miwa reviewer who has reviewed a grand total of 2 singles.

I think your description of “breezy and carefree” is quite appropriate actually… I think I had listened to the Kimi ni Deaeta Kara far too many times though, and was rather sick of it by the end. I liked the sound of the acoustic guitar too, but yeah still wasn’t as keen on the melody line.